Denny
July 23rd 07, 06:55 PM
Well, for a while I thought a new day had dawned... Here's the
scenario:
Launched VFR from Saginaw headed to parts 28 miles south of
Cleveland... 19 Miles North of Detroit City Airport (I refuse to call
it the other name) I called ATC and asked for VFR following and Lake
Services... The Detroit controller gave me a squawk and we had a
beautiful Sunday morning ride across Ontario and Lake Erie... The viz
was a blinding 70 miles or so... A bit south of Pelee Island Detroit
turned me over to Cleveland - a perky female controller who was
working three frequencies simultaneously <this gal has talent> took
over... She immediately advised I could let her know when I wanted to
start down from 7500, that I was cleared into the Cleveland B (20
miles ahead), and that she would keep me advised of traffic... This
is 4 star treatment... I felt like a VIP...
However, not to worry it didn't last... Coming back that afternoon I
picked up VFR flight following shortly after lift off , the male
controller was pleasant enough but he wouldn't let me climb out of the
5 O'Clock thermals into the oh-so-sacred airspace of the Cleveland B,
so we jerked and lurched our way west until we were clear of the B
before I could begin to climb... Then at the instant I neared the US-
Canada line across the lake he comes back with, "leaving my airspace,
squawk VFR, resume own navigation, frequency changed aproved.". . .
whump! He just dumped me out into international airspace without
controller contact, without a handoff, without even a suggested
frequency... Now this is the ATC we have all come to know and
love... Welcome back to the SOS...
Knowing I had met the regulations by contacting ATC ( until he dumped
me) and knowing the Canadians couldn't care less, I shrugged, dialed
up 1200 on the squawk box, and Fat Albert continued to drone straight
ahead (punctutated by the occasional lean mixture hiccup) through the
mild turbulence at 6500... We crossed canadian airspace (eh) and re-
entered the hew hess of hey just east of the Detroit B.... Still a
glorious afternoon, if a bit hot and bumpy...
denny
scenario:
Launched VFR from Saginaw headed to parts 28 miles south of
Cleveland... 19 Miles North of Detroit City Airport (I refuse to call
it the other name) I called ATC and asked for VFR following and Lake
Services... The Detroit controller gave me a squawk and we had a
beautiful Sunday morning ride across Ontario and Lake Erie... The viz
was a blinding 70 miles or so... A bit south of Pelee Island Detroit
turned me over to Cleveland - a perky female controller who was
working three frequencies simultaneously <this gal has talent> took
over... She immediately advised I could let her know when I wanted to
start down from 7500, that I was cleared into the Cleveland B (20
miles ahead), and that she would keep me advised of traffic... This
is 4 star treatment... I felt like a VIP...
However, not to worry it didn't last... Coming back that afternoon I
picked up VFR flight following shortly after lift off , the male
controller was pleasant enough but he wouldn't let me climb out of the
5 O'Clock thermals into the oh-so-sacred airspace of the Cleveland B,
so we jerked and lurched our way west until we were clear of the B
before I could begin to climb... Then at the instant I neared the US-
Canada line across the lake he comes back with, "leaving my airspace,
squawk VFR, resume own navigation, frequency changed aproved.". . .
whump! He just dumped me out into international airspace without
controller contact, without a handoff, without even a suggested
frequency... Now this is the ATC we have all come to know and
love... Welcome back to the SOS...
Knowing I had met the regulations by contacting ATC ( until he dumped
me) and knowing the Canadians couldn't care less, I shrugged, dialed
up 1200 on the squawk box, and Fat Albert continued to drone straight
ahead (punctutated by the occasional lean mixture hiccup) through the
mild turbulence at 6500... We crossed canadian airspace (eh) and re-
entered the hew hess of hey just east of the Detroit B.... Still a
glorious afternoon, if a bit hot and bumpy...
denny